The 2025 season has just begun and the tennis world is already buzzing with drama. Tennis ‘bad boy’ Nick Kyrgios isn’t new to controversy. The Australian star is known to stir the pot by openly criticizing Jannik Sinner amidst the Italian’s ongoing doping saga. But while Kyrgios takes aim at Sinner, former tennis champ Andy Roddick has flipped the script, calling Kyrgios out for not only being a bully but also a ‘hypocrite’.

On the latest episode of the ‘Served’ podcast on 7th January, Andy Roddick, along with John Wertheim talked about the start of the 2025 tennis season, covering tournaments like Brisbane and the United Cup. But the conversation took a dramatic turn when they addressed Kyrgios’ constant comments on Sinner.

The 2003 US Open victor didn’t mince his words and said, “You have this thing where it’s like I was, you know, with the internet and the abuse I took on it, I had real mental issues with it, with the bullying online and the media coming for me and all this stuff. And yet, what are you doing? There’s not a moment that goes by in the comments section of Swiatek, Sinner, accusing me of using steroids. And yet, you want people to understand that you were in a dark place because of online bullying. It’s just hypocritical. It’s purely hypocritical.”

What is Roddick talking about? In January 2021, Kyrgios was charged with common assault after an incident involving his ex-girlfriend, Chiara Passari. The charges were later dismissed as “low-end seriousness” by Magistrate Beth Campbell.

After the ruling, the Australian tennis player expressed remorse in a statement: “I was not in a good place when this took place, and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret. I know it wasn’t OK, and I’m sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused. Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I’ve found that getting help and working on myself has helped me to feel better and to be better.”

Given his own experiences with public scrutiny and mental health, Roddick questioned why Kyrgios has been so critical of Sinner, especially as the young Italian faces one of the most challenging moments of his career.

The American veteran has been vocally supportive of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek’s doping cases. In response to this, on 3rd December Kyrgios accused Roddick of also doping. A social media user on “X” had stated in a now-deleted post that Roddick was someone who supported doping during his career and that he himself was someone who had doped. To this, Nick quote tweeted and wrote “Hahaha most likely”.

What are the doping cases they have been at odds about? World No. 1 Jannik Sinner tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, twice in March 2024. According to Sinner, the substance entered his system accidentally from his physiotherapist while he was giving a massage to him. On the other hand, Iga Swiatek tested positive for the prohibited substance TMZ through a contaminated sleeping pill she took for insomnia and jet lag. Both Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner were found to bear no fault in their respective doping cases by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). While Swiatek served a one-month suspension, Sinner was let off without a ban. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has, however, appealed Sinner’s case.

Kyrgios, meanwhile, has been relentless in his criticism. Ahead of his Brisbane International tournament at a press conference, he said, “Two world No.1s both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport. It’s a horrible look. Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it, but no one wants to speak about it, it’s awful” 

Just recently, he targeted a young ATP star for practicing with Jannik Sinner ahead of the Australian Open.

Nick Kyrgios calls out 16-year-old ATP star for practicing with Jannik Sinner

Nick Kyrgios recently made headlines again when he commented on a photo of 16-year-old Cruz Hewitt practicing with Sinner at Rod Laver Arena. Cruz, the son of Aussie legend Lleyton Hewitt, had posted a “before and after” picture of himself with Sinner on Instagram, showing a touching progression from fan to hitting partner.

Kyrgios wasn’t pleased. “Love ya Cruz but this is wild,” he commented, adding, “cooked post,” along with a needle emoji—a clear jab at Sinner’s doping controversy.

After receiving backlash, Kyrgios claimed his comments were a joke on social media.

This is off-the-court talk. On the court, Both Kyrgios and Sinner are gearing up for the 2025 Australian Open, which begins on January 12. While Jannik Sinner is poised to defend his title, Kygrios’s participation is in doubt.  He withdrew from an exhibition singles match against the 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night dubbed “A Night with Novak,” due to a grade-one abdominal strain. However, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist told Seven on Sunday, “I’ve still got five days up my sleeve, so I’m just going to probably not serve for the next couple of days, I’ve got a couple of practices scheduled. I’ll do everything I can [to be ready in time].”

If Nick Kyrgios does take part in his home Slam, he could potentially clash with Jannik Sinner on the court, which would result in him “losing all respect” and doing anything to win the match. Are you looking forward to their potential encounter?